This invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a secure identification card having a preassembled core and at least one tamper and wear-resistant covering panel for at least the image side of the core.
In the past, the clear, tough, laminating film used as the outer covering of a secure identification card has been cut into panels each having the same shape and usually, but not always, the same dimensions as that of the preassembled core. A panel of the laminating film was positioned against the image side of the preassembled core and the preassembled core and the laminating panel were laminated under heat and pressure to form a secure identification card. Accurate alignment of the outer panel of laminating film with the preassembled core in practicing this prior method was labor intensive and, therefore, costly.
Therefore, an object of this invention is a method which permits the use of a preassembled core of a secure identification card and an accurately aligned attachment of a tamper and wear-resistant panel to at least the image side of the core and sometimes to both sides.
Another object of this invention is the accurate alignment of a tamper and wear-resistant film panels to preassembled cores by forming the film panels in a continuous roll of laminating film and retaining the panels attached to the roll of film by partially cutting the outlines of each laminating film panel without completely severing the panel from the roll of laminating film.
Another object of this invention is to facilitate the alignment of a preassembled core with a film panel by moving the preassembled core into alignment with a laminate panel which is still attached to the roll of film in which it was formed by a plurality of frangible bridges.
Another object of this invention is to maintain alignment of a laminate panel with a preassembled core prior to lamination by heat tacking the preassembled core to the laminate panel while the laminate panel is still attached to the continuous roll of laminate film.